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NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, who was to be the first African-American astronaut to occupy a long-term position on the International Space Station until she was removed from the list. January, still waiting for an explanation of why.
Epps, who holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and who previously worked with Ford Motors and the CIA, first qualified as a candidate for astronauts in 2009 and has since coached for the first time. ;space. According to Houston ChronicleEpps recently told journalist Megan Gannon at the Tech Open Air Festival that she believed NASA, not an official of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, had called to remove her from the June 6 mission. . But whoever changed the list decided that it's best not to know why, the Chronicle wrote:
"I do not know where the decision came from and how it was made, in detail or at what level … I really do not think it was the Russians, partly because I was there. I had followed the training with them and that I was able to develop good working relationships with everyone there, "Epps said. "There were Russians, many of them, who defended me in the sense that it is not sure to really remove any one of a team that's going to be there." Is driven together for years. "
Epps' replacement, astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, left the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan this month, alongside the crew of Roscosmos and the European Space Agency. .
By Space.com, Epps also stated that she was certain she was not failing to qualify for health or family reasons, and that "everything was over" with regard to her qualifications. She also expressed her concern that NASA is currently leasing Soyuz-priced human cargo to the ISS at an exorbitant price, a relationship that is expected to end before Boeing's CST-100 Starliner or capsule Crew Dragon from SpaceX is not ready. the Russians to exploit the Soyuz could go to the loss.
NASA has never publicly explained the situation, referring to the process of selecting astronauts as "personnel matters for which NASA does not provide information," according to the Verge. He gave the same explanation to the the Chronicle this week.
During the interview, Epps distanced himself from widespread speculation that racism or sexism might have played a role in his withdrawal from the mission, wrote Space.com:
"There is no time to really worry about sexism and racism and things like that, because we have to perform," Epps said. "And if that comes into play, then you interfere with the mission, and you interfere with the performance, and so, whether or not it is a factor, I can not speculate on what people think and do unless they do not. have a little more information. "
As the Washington Post noted, although some, including his brother Henry Epps thought bigotry was behind the decision, "last-minute crew changes are not unusual at NASA."
Although there were 14 black astronauts including three women, Epps would have been the first to stay on the ISS for a long time.
"There have been three African Americans who have visited the ISS, but they have not accomplished the long-term mission I undertake," said Epps at the Coupe L & # 39; last year. "I will be the one who will spend the most time on the ISS.As steward, I will do that honor."
Space.com added that in the meantime, Epps was working on NASA's Orion program and CAPCOM, which is helping to coordinate mission astronaut and mission control activities at Johnson Space Center in Houston. .
[Houston Chronicle/Space.com via Business Insider]Source link
